Parts of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ enter public domain

The mystery behind Sherlock Holmes' adventures continue to grab the attention of American and British audiences, but now, those who want to interpret parts of the fictional detective's story may feel more comfortable doing so, the New York Times reported.

The United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, ruled that any "Sherlock Holmes" stories published prior to January 1, 1923, would now be a part of the public domain. Before the ruling, requests to use the works had to be submitted to author Arthur Conan Doyle's estate and applicants had to pay a licensing fee to do so. Doyle's 50 works on Holmes' adventures were not completed until 1927.

Question around these works occurred when Leslie Klinger filed a civil complaint against the estate for forcing her to pay another fee to ensure that retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble would be allowed to distribute the three-volume book called "New Annotated Sherlock Holmes."

"Klinger and the public may use the pre-1923 story elements without seeking a license," the judge wrote.

The ruling may come as a surprise, but Holmes stories were already made readily available in the British public domain. Yet Warner Bros. and BBC prompted to request a licensing agreement from the Doyle estate in advance. This move has proved to be financially successful for both parties. The television program "Sherlock" is in its third season while a movie about Holmes became a trilogy.

Protecting classic works can be difficult to do, but it is not entirely impossible. Recently, Apple Corp. decided to extend the Beatles' copyright by releasing all recorded works for the band's first album, entitled "The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963."

Individuals and companies that wish to maximize their copyright protections can get in touch with a Phoenix business attorney to see what options are readily available.

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